Chapter 63: A Patchwork System

Liu Heming felt quite anxious. While John was working, Liu Heming wanted several times to ask him to explain first how to make the horseshoe.

He finally waited until John poured the molten iron into the mold. Liu Heming then perked up. However, it was only after John actually explained the blacksmithing techniques to him and he tried his hand at it that he realized blacksmithing was truly a skilled craft.

Watching John demonstrate, it seemed so effortless and smooth. He didn’t even need to look carefully; his hammer landed exactly where he wanted. But when it was Liu Heming’s turn? It was as if his own hands weren’t his own; there were always errors. Once, he even used too much force and sent the iron bar flying.

Fortunately, this was just practice, and the iron bar was just an ordinary one. If it had been red-hot and flew off hitting someone, it would have seared them badly.

Luckily, John was a very patient and good teacher. Even when dealing with an impatient and clumsy apprentice like Liu Heming, he didn’t get angry and instead guided him very patiently.

Liu Heming now had a new understanding of blacksmithing. It wasn’t as simple as he had imagined—just hammering away would not get the job done. It involved the application of strength, the test of one’s eyesight, and also coordination. The force had to be applied just right, and the eyes had to be aimed accurately. Otherwise, if you smashed it crooked, even the best force application would be useless.

Earlier, his mind had been very cluttered, feeling torn between hope and fear, and he wanted to finish this task quickly. But now, he stopped thinking about all those messy matters. What his eyes and mind saw and thought about was solely this iron bar and the mark drawn on it.

John, who was watching from the side, looked more and more surprised. He hadn’t expected Liu Heming’s progress to be so fast. Although Liu Heming still couldn’t compare to himself, for many beginners, he was already much better.

Not only did he hit the mark with every hammer strike, but his left hand was also coordinating accordingly, constantly adjusting the position of the iron bar. Except for the initial misses, within just a few minutes, he was able to coordinate everything perfectly.

When John himself was learning, it took him over a month to master it. He truly hadn’t expected Liu Heming to fully grasp it in less than half an hour.

Liu Heming, meanwhile, became more and more energized as he hammered. He found that as long as he utilized the rebound force well, not only did it make his hand much more comfortable, but it also made his subsequent hammer strikes smoother.

It even felt to him somewhat similar to his recent practice of wok tossing. Both involved applying and withdrawing force, with only slight differences in technique.

After spending the whole day with John, his time passed by in hammering. He was quite satisfied with himself, as he could feel his growth in the craft of blacksmithing. He thought this was the benefit that Mental Power brought him, allowing him to be more focused.

Back home, the first thing he did, of course, was to attend to the Bear Kids’ meal. They were a little unhappy today—after all, he had been clanging away having fun by himself and didn’t pay them any attention.

For Liu Heming, coaxing the Bear Kids was all too easy. They were foodies; as long as you prepared food and drink for them, all their unhappiness turned into appetite.

Liu Heming wasn’t idle either. After quickly fixing himself something to eat, he sat down in the recliner and started communicating with the System. He needed to figure out what kind of system this Magical Ranch System really was.

It was like waiting forever for something to finally appear, almost like it was half-hidden. After calling out several times, the System’s somewhat uninterested voice finally rang out, “What do you want?”

“Tell me, how many more systems haven’t I triggered yet? Are you a system cluster or a single Magical Ranch System?” Liu Heming asked.

“I am, of course, the one and only Magical Ranch System,” the System said with a hint of pride.

“Then why are there so many subsystems? Look, three have shown up already. But for my planting aspect, how many tasks have you given me?” Liu Heming said, somewhat frustrated.

“Not happy? Should I take the other systems back then?” the System asked in a vague tone.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. I just wanted to ask if there are any other systems, so I can be mentally prepared,” Liu Heming quickly asked with an appeasing smile.

“There aren’t any more, that’s all. Actually, these three, including the planting system, are all auxiliary systems,” the System said impatiently.

“In a ranch, planting and breeding coexist; they are inherently symbiotic. The cooking system is to improve your quality of life. The manufacturing system triggered today is to make your future life more convenient.”

“These are the four subsystems I developed for you after careful consideration and research, forming a true Magical Ranch System.”

“You really are the best. So, can you make my ranch more powerful? For example, planting today and harvesting tomorrow, or growing crops of the best quality in the world?” Liu Heming praised the System and then cautiously asked.

“Are you stupid? Planting today and harvesting tomorrow? If it were really like that, do you think you could live peacefully?” the System said with great disdain.

“Although my Database data has suffered some damage, the data on how to protect the host has not been destroyed. Based on my understanding of this planet’s current situation, if we really did something like that and you didn’t have strong enough Strength, neither of us could expect to have good days. Work hard to complete the existing tasks; I’ll go develop other tasks.”

After saying that, the System fell silent.

It was worried too. It had managed to bluff its way through again. Without a complete Database to support it, and the training plan it had come up with now seemed to have gone somewhat off track.

Liu Heming smacked his lips, thinking that what the System said seemed to make sense. If the wheat he planted really grew ears as big as sorghum heads, that would indeed be a problem hard to solve.

But he still felt something was odd. Although the System’s reasoning made some sense, these subsystems seemed like they were pieced together haphazardly and weren’t very reliable.

Moreover, the System’s mood swings were too big—it got angry at the slightest disagreement, and when angry, it would make things difficult for him. The thought that it was “like a child” popped into his head again.

He had nothing to compare it to, and this was something he couldn’t consult others about. Otherwise, shortly after asking, he might be captured for research. As for whether he’d be sliced or diced, he wouldn’t have a say then.